Boiled onions in sauce can be served on thick buttered toast or as a side to roast meat or chicken. Either way it tastes delicious. It costs very little and is always a winner.

Cooks Know How: Onions contain vitamin C, a little potassium and calcium and are low calorie. They contain flavenoids which are helpful to health. Onions bring out the savoury flavour of foods and add texture and bulk. The cells of onions need to be softened by boiling for this recipe. Use just enough water to cover the onions and simmer gently.

The sauce is made with butter and plain flour, cooked first to make a paste, called a roux in the bottom of the pan. Add a little milk at a time and beat the sauce using the back of the wooden spoon to keep it smooth. It is essential to cook the flour whilst making the sauce. The process is called gelatinisation. It means the starch absorbs the liquid and bursts causing thickening. The final temperature of the sauce is critical to the flavour. It must boil to finalise the busting of the starch or it will taste ‘raw’. Add the flavourings, the seasoning and the mayonnaise alongside the cheese. The cheese adds protein and helps to thicken the sauce. Browning the dish by sprinkling with remaining grated cheese add colour and texture.

Next Time

Use different onions such as pickling onions, red onions or shallots. The sauce can be flavoured with any hard cheese and pepped up with a shake of Worcestershire sauce or a teaspoon of mustard.